Sewing-machine.



H. CORRALL & 'J. M. FORBES SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. m4.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

UNITED T OFFTGE,

HERBERT COBRALL, OF HELENSBURGH, AND JAMES MOIR FORBES, 0F SCOTSTOUN, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A,

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 9, 1914. Serial No. 817,458.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Hnnnnn'r CORRALL and JAMES Mom Forums, subjects of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire, Scotland, and Scotstoun, Glasgow, Scotland, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to embroidery sewing machines, and has for its object to provide simple and effective means for governing the number of stitches to be formed by a train of machines, the mechanism including means for stopping the machines with a minimum shock to the driving elements and while the needle of each unit is above the work.

The improvements are especially adapted for use in conjunction with a series or train of embroidery sewing machines arranged to operate simultaneously in connection with moving work-holders controlled by a mama ally-actuated pantograph device, as disclosed in our Patent No. 1,159,901, dated November 9, 1915. The mechanism includes a bracket provided with an integral oil chamber which receives a helical gear-wheel fixed to the main-shaft of a sewing machine and engaging a like gear-wheel upona shaft cxtending transversely of said oil chamber and rotating within bearing bosses provided by the bracket. the latter shaft is a driven wheel or friction disk provided with a projecting hub upon which is slidingly mounted a driving-wheel adapted to be thrown into engagement with i the friction disk but normally pressed out of engagement therewith by a coiled spring within said projecting hub. A plural armed rock-leveris employed to throw the drivingwheel into and out of operative engagement with the friction disk and also to apply a braketo the latter when it is released. To stop the friction disk in such position that the needle is above the work and to absorb the shock; produced by the sudden arrest of the disk the latter is provided with two springs contained Within a chamber concentric with its hub, each spring being connected to a pin secured to a collar loosely mounted upon and normally rotating with the hub of the disk. When the rock-lever is Fixed upon the outer end of actuated to release the disk from contact with the driving wheel, a trip or stop element carried by said lever locks the aforesaid collar against movement, whereby the momentum of the disk is taken up by the compression of one spring and the expansion of the second spring, in conjunction with the action of the brake element carried by said lever. The rock-lever is operated by a bell-crank provided with a roller which engages the point of a pin secured to a projecting arm of the lever the bell-crank being connected to the upper end of a rod secured at its lower end to a treadle device. By such arrangement the operator has positive control of the driving elements, and by movement of the bell-crank from one extreme position to the other can cause the machines to be stopped automatically at the termination of each stitch; or by movement of the bell-crank to mid-way position and in constant engagement with the rock-lever can cause the machines to produce stitches uninterruptedly.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the present improvements, and Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the plural armed rock-lever, and the driven wheel or disk, showing the latter in section. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the collar and of the trip element. The invention is shown applied to a sewing machine 1, comprising the first of a train of embroidery machines, supported upon a table or stand 2, the work-holder 3 of the machine being adjustably connected to a supporting bar 1 to which movements are imparted by means of the pantograph 5. The main'sha't't 6 of the sewing machine is provided with a helical gear 7 which is received within an oil chamber 8 formed into grally with a bracket 9 secured to the sewing machine standard by means of screw 10, said oil chamber being provided with a removable cap 11 pivotally secured to the bracket by means of stud screw 12.. At opposite sides of the oilchamber are formed bearing bosses 13 and 13* to receive a shaft 14 extending transversely of the oil chamber and supporting the helical gear-wheel 15 which engages the like wheel on main shaft 6 of the sewing machine. In the pres ent instance boss 13*is enlar ed to conform with the diametrical proportion of the hub 16 of a driven wheel or friction disk 17 fixed upon'shaft 14 by means of screw 18. The hollow hub 16- of friction disk 17 pro jects beyond the end of shaft 14:, thus providing a chamber 19 to receive a coiled the face of driving wheel 23 from contact with a ring'24, of leather or the like fitted within an annular groove formed in the inner face'of the friction disk. The driving wheel'23"is provided with the usual peripheral groove 25 to receive driving belt 26 which in practice is driven by-a motor or other power device. e

Inthe present instance-bracket 9. is provided with a laterally projecting foot 27 which serves asa support for the pluralarmed operating rock-lever'28, said lever beingpivoted upon the bracket foot by means of a stud screw 29 which enters an aperture formed withinthe hub 30 of said lever, the enlarged head of screw29 serving to confine upon said hub the sleeve 31 of a brakearm 32provided with a brake-shoe33 adapted to Contact withinclined surface 34 upon friction' disk 17 said surface constituting a stop element for the disk. The brake-arm 32 rests upon the end of a screw 35 adjustable within boss 36 upon one arm 6 ofthe rocklever 28. 4

The'arm a of the rock-lever is enlarged at its extremity and provided with a socket to receive a springspressed plunger pin ,(such as shown at 82, 1 of the patent to Barron, No.'998,595) havinga rounded head 37 which is dis'posed adjacent thecap 22 of will be seen that the,

driving-wheel 23. t movement of rock-lever 28 to the left from the position shown in Figs' 1 and 2 will carry the plunger pin away from the driving wheel, thus permitting spring '20 to move said wheel out of operatlve engagement 'with the disk 17 it being apparent that suchimovement of the lever will carry'brakearm 32 in position to engagemcllned surface 34: .of the driving-wheel. Thereverse movement of the lever 28 will move the driving wheel 23 axially against the action of spring 20 whereby the face of "the driv-' ingwheel will be brought into frictional engagement with ring-24 upon the disk and rotary movement will be transmitted to said disk and the main-shaft 60f the sewing machine. v a v I V To stop the friction disk at a given point and to absorb the shock produced by the sudden arrest thereof, the disk 'isprovided with coiledsprmgs housed wlthin an annular chamber 36 surroundingits hub, said chalnberbeing closed by cap 38 Oneend of each spring 39 is connected to a pin40 secured to the disk and the opposite ends of the springs are connected to a pin 4L1 proelement 45 upon arm 6 of the rock-lever enters thegap' formed in the flange of collar whereby the collar is held against rotation and the momentum of the friction disk is overcome by the compression of one spring and the expansion of the second spring aided by the action of brakearm*32. i

The operating means for rock-lever 28 '44 and engages one of the shoulders 43*,

comprises a bell-crank46 pivoted by means I of screw stud 47 to a bracket 48 secured to the table or stand 2, said bell-crank being provided with a roller 49 adapted to engage thepoint of a pin 50 secured'to the outer extremity of the arm, 0 of lever 28. The bellcrank 'is 'freely connected, by means'of a'usual universal joint such as disclosed in the patent to Diehl at al., No. 997 ,37 6, to the upper end of a rod 51 similarly, connected at its lower end to a treadle device 52 of any suitable construction. Aspring 53 se- 7 cured to the table and connected to the rock-l,

lever tends to tilt the latter to carry armav out ofengagementwith thedriving wheel and the brake and trip elements'into-en: gagement with the friction disk. It will beseen that the bell-crank 46 in its mid-wayposition, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, will hold.

arm 0 of the rock-lever elevated and the driving wheel 1n operatlve engagement with the driven wheel and thus will eifecta-continuous operation ofthe machine while it remains in such position. To start the machine and cause it to be stopped; automatically at the termination'of each stitch-form ing operation, the bell-crank 46 is moved from one extreme position to the other whereby the roller 49; engages the pin 50 on arm ,0 of the lever 28, and. causesfthe spring plunger carriedby ar'mfa 'to engage the cap 22 on thedrivingwheel 23 which is thus moved axially against the action of the spring 20 so that its face is broughtinto engagement with the ring24 upon the frictiondisk 17 and thereby rotates said disk and the shaft-l4. On the said upward move ment of the arm 0 the brake shoe. 33 is dis-.

engaged from the driven Wheel 17 and the 1 trip element 45 on the arm 6 is disengaged from the gap portion of the flange collar ll, remaining in disengaged position until the wheel l7 has made onecompleterevolw tion and the gap again comes into register with the trip element 45 which is thereupon moved into the gap by the action of the spring 53, the brake shoe 33 being simultaneously applied to the wheel 17, whereby further rotation of said disk is prevented to arrest the main-shaft in the sewing ma chine head, the adjustment of the parts being such that the needle carried by the needle-bar on the machine is clear of the work.

It will be understood that the transverse shafts 14, which transmit motion to the main-shafts 6 of the train of machines, may be connected by means of coupling-bars 53 or by similarmeans, and that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts, it being manitest that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiment thereof herein shown and described.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is 1. The combination with a train of embroidery sewing machines, a series of workholders, a pantograph and a bar connecting said work-holders and pantograph, of a rotatable shaft and connections between said shaft and said machines for actuating all said machines in definitely timed relation to each other, frictional driving means under the control of the operator for initiating at will the simultaneous operation of all of said machines, and mechanism including braking means, whereby all of said machines may be arrested at a predetermined period in the cycle of their operations after the completion of each stitch, or may be arrested at such period after the completion of any desired number of stitches.

2. The combination with a plurality of embroidery sewing machines, each machine including a main-shaft, of a otatable shaft separate from but having operative connections with the main-shafts of the machines for actuating said machinesin definitely timed relation to each other, friction clutch elements adapted when engaged to cause rotation of said rotatable shaft, and means under the control of the operator adapted to effect engagement of said clutch elements, and to disconnect said clutch elements and arrest the rotation of said shaft at a predetermined period in the cycle of operations either on the production of a single stitch or on the production of any desired number of stitches.

8. The combination of a train of embroidery sewing machines, a series of workholders, a pantograph and a bar connecting said work-holders and pantograph, of a rotatable shaft and connections between said shaft and said machines for actuating all of said machines in definitely timed relation to each other, driving means, a starting and stopping device connecting said driving means with said rotatable shaft, means including a treadle-controlled rock-lever for controlling the action of said starting and stopping device, and operative connections between said rock-lever and starting and stopping device whereby the movement of said rock-lever from either of its extreme positions to the other will initiate the formation of one complete stitch by each machine and cause said machines to stop at predetermined period in the cycle of their operations.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT CORRALL. JAMES MOIR FORBES.

\Vitnesses HENRY Mason, WALLACE CnANs'roN FAIRWEATHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

